A strong vocabulary can increase your confidence and your ability to express yourself in the exam. When building your vocabulary, it is important to incorporate following techniques to excel.
𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: Many words have a common root and a prefix or suffix that helps you determine what the meaning might be. For example, when a word includes the root “duc,” a Latin word that means “to make or lead,” You can assume that the root refers to that Latin definition. You’ll see this root in words like “produce” or “deduce.”
𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Word associations can help you remember certain words or phrases. For example, the word “gargantuan” means very large. Try creating a sequence with the word, such as tiny, small, medium, large, giant and gargantuan. Forming associations can help you recall words you’re learning with more ease. These associations can also ensure you remember the word long term.
𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲: At the end of each week, create a quiz that includes the vocabulary words, root words or other language aspects that you’ve been studying. Taking a quiz or test can increase your ability to retain new words.
Every time you learn a new root or word, create a flashcard. On one side of the card, write the word, and on the opposite side, write the definition. You can practice recalling the definition from the words and vice versa.
𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: As you learn new words, you can group them together by meaning. By creating these groups, you can identify patterns that make it easier to incorporate the words into your daily speech.
For example, you might learn words like affirmative, efficacious and decisive, which all mean positive. By grouping these words together, it becomes easier to recall their general meanings and how to use them in speech.
𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Different words often share the same or similar meaning. You can create a list of word groups to help you construct new and unique statements in your writing and speech. Some words have similar meanings but don’t always substitute for one another, so it’s helpful to review definitions of similar words before using them. By varying the word choices in your communication, you’ll sound more polished and professional.
𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: Diversifying your reading choices can help you build a stronger vocabulary since you see new words from different writers who have varying writing patterns. Adding new texts and options to your reading list can also help.
